Posted by Lieutenant Commander Renveer (Executive Officer) in Side Sim: A Proper Welcome (Tag Dr. Winter)

Posted by Ensign Kerilah Winter (Doctor) in Side Sim: A Proper Welcome (Tag Dr. Winter)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Renveer (Executive Officer) in Side Sim: A Proper Welcome (Tag Dr. Winter)
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The dimmed lights of Renveer’s office and the soft instrumental meditation-like music playing in the background gave the room a dream-like atmosphere. In the early morning, Renveer preferred a slow, smooth transition from sleep to wakening, which meant no coffee or tea, no exercise, just a steady climb to full consciousness through a routine much like the reverse of what one does to prepare for bed. So even half asleep, here he sat in the dawn of the overhead lights, quietly reading his PaDD for the daily reports that came in from around the ship.

Although the typical routine memos did nothing to improve his alertness, he did pause and blink at the report of a new ensign coming aboard. Ensign Winter, who had apparently boarded yesterday. From the look of things, she was fit for duty. Renveer almost scrolled on past the file when the word ‘psychology’ automatically trigger his attention and directed his eyes to focus further on her profile. A degree in forensic psychology… well, Renveer was certainly intrigued.

The executive officer spent the next several minutes reading over her file. He took particular interest in the information about Ensign Winter’s mother, a counselor who had died tragically rather recently… Kerilah herself had indicated interest in being a counselor, based on her studies in the academy. A small smile graced Renveer’s lips.

=^= Renveer to Ensign Winter. This is the executive officer of the Dresden speaking. I’d like to give you a proper welcome aboard if you have a moment. I know the first couple of days are hectic, so stop by my office at your leisure. =^=

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

Kerilah was picking at her makapa bread and moba fruit while trying to clear her head of sleep that came too late in the night as her Comm Badge chirped to life. She heard the Commander’s voice through the device and nearly spilled her tea, reaching for it to answer.

=^=Ensign Winter, here. Of course, Sir. Thank you. On my way, Sir.=^=

‘Well that was a hell of a first impression, Keri - brilliant’, she chastised herself as she grabbed another sip of Deka Tea and dressed. She pulled herself together in record time and pulled her unruly curls back into regulation form before putting her breakfast in the replicator and rushing out the door.

Kerilah knew that the XO had said ‘at her leisure’, but when you’re new to a ship and the Senior Officer requests your presence, you move! Besides, she knew she wouldn’t be socializing with the bridge crew very often, so it made sense to seize the opportunity, right? She didn’t know much about the man, beyond the fact that he was a Trill - not joined, by choice - and in excellent health, which lessened the likelihood of them interacting. Still, she wanted to get off on the right foot.

As she entered the turbo-lift, she noticed that the corridors were slowly coming to life as more and more people began their shifts aboard the Dresden. She liked the ‘tone’ of the ship. It had an interesting resonance about it; the specific rhythm every ship had when it has achieved homeostasis with its function and crew and although she had only heard two others in her life, she actually felt in-tune with this one. She hoped it was a good sign. She rode the lift in silence and tried to settle her mind.

It had been roughly 20 minutes since her ‘wake-up call’ from the XO, and now she was sitting, patiently outside his office. She took a deep breath and initiated the door chime.

- Dr. Kerilah Winter, Ensign

Renveer looked up from the last of his daily reports as the chime rang, both surprised and not surprised at all that the ensign had arrived so promptly. At least, Renveer assumed that was who was outside his door, this early in the morning. “Computer, pause music and raise lights to eighty-five percent, please.” He blinked his eyes to adjust them to the sudden increase in light before directing his attention to the door.

“Come in!” The door to Renveer’s office opened automatically when he signaled. The executive officer’s space was arranged much like a typical counselor’s office might be: one high-backed cloth-covered chair for Renveer, situated across from a loveseat and another lounge chair, the space between which was bridged by an elaborate rug in the center of the room. A desk sat empty and forgotten in the far corner. The walls of the office were decorated with abstract art created by members of many different cultures, almost all of them vibrantly colorful. End tables sat next to the other furniture with various knick-knacks or lamps displayed, and there was an occasional fern or ceramic vase carefully placed here and there for additional ambiance. Browns and earth tones dominated the room’s color-scheme, and the lighting in this office had been yellowed slightly, making it less harsh than elsewhere on the ship.

Commander Renveer stood as Ensign Winter entered, walking forward to extend a hand for a firm and friendly handshake. “Welcome aboard, Ensign,” he said with a genuine smile. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Renveer. Thank you for coming to see me, please make yourself comfortable.” Renveer swept a hand out to motion to the seating options across from his chair, which he settled back down into with one leg crossed over the other at the knee, regarding Dr. Winter with enthusiasm. The man was rather unremarkable in appearance, other than the trill markings that decorated the frame of his soft face. But he tended to have an approachable demeanor about him.

Renveer tapped the PaDD that he had stuck between the seat cushion and the arm of the chair. “I saw that you’re interested in the counseling track. Please, tell me more about that.” He was genuinely engaged, and there was a twinkle of approval in his eye.

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

OOC: Great post! I love the detail and the little glimpses into her perspective. And good job with the signature! You’re a natural.

Ben

< Kerilah walked into the room with a refreshed confidence that quickly dissolved when she extended her hand to greet Cmdr. Renveer [no one said he was so handsome, how the hell am I supposed to stay focused!?] She felt an uncomfortable warmth spread across her face and suddenly forgot why she was here, but the contact of his hand snapped her back to reality.

“Yes, Sir”, she said a bit awkwardly as she pulled back her hand from his, “I’ve always held a fascination for the hows and whys of the darkness within us, Sir. Forensic psychology is often considered a dying field in Starfleet because passionate murder has been in decline for centuries, but it still happens and now, more than ever I think, we need to understand it, if we hope to prevent it”. Her passion for the subject had over-taken her for a moment and let her revert to her more standard trait of being articulate, which she was thankful for, but didn’t want to talk too much.

…”Also, it feeds an internal need of mine to ‘catch the proverbial bad guy’, Sir” she added with a wry grin, she hoped he would find charming.

Keri felt herself over-thinking and turned her attention to the beautiful Bajoran painting on the wall by the sitting area, and marveled as she realized it was a genuine work of Vedek Topek. The indigo and amethyst pigments in stark contrast to the alabaster canvas reminded her of how Bajoran spiritualism often depicted duality and how brilliantly the Vedek had incorporated that into his aesthetic. “Are you interested in psychology, as well, Sir?”

Dr. Kerilah Winter, Ens.

Renveer leaned forward subconsciously as a warm smile spread across his face. “You could say that. Until just recently, I was a counselor. For the last ten years in fact, on a variety of ships. I’m still adjusting to the executive officer role…” he motioned around his office, his gaze lingering for a second on the painting Kerilah had taken interest in, “as you can tell by the set-up of my office, I imagine.” He chuckled lightly.

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” Renveer said as he cupped his hands around his raised knee. “I know you’ve been assigned to the Dresden as a medical officer, and sickbay will be happy to have you. But are you interested in taking up a couple extra responsibilities to train as a counselor as well? Although they share a department, the roles are obviously very different, and I’d want you to get experience with those duties as well if that’s a route you’re wanting to take.” The executive officer was obviously eager to help. He was probably trying to make the offer neutrally, but he was failing to hide the encouragement behind his eyes.

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

“Really, Sir?”, her voice filled with more surprise than she wanted to convey. “I’d be eager for the opportunity. Yes, sir.” It was something she had day-dreamed about, but thought it would be years and years before she ever got a chance at something like this. Then she paused, suddenly grounded by responsibility, “Though I wouldn’t want to leave Dr. Janvier short-handed? After all, I haven’t even met with her yet. I was heading there next, sir”.

Kerilah watched Renveer’s face, as his chocolate eyes melted with warmth and interest as he made the offer and she worried he would misconstrue her hesitation as a lack of appreciation. This was probably motivated by her obvious attraction to the man, but it was still a real concern - “But I’m honored you would offer me the chance, sir. So if the CMO is willing, I’m happy to accept!” [You’re babbling again, Keri. He doesn’t know you yet! He’s gonna think this is how you always are - just breathe. You want his respect, more than his…] she crossed over to the painting by Topek.

Renveer nodded in approval. “Of course, we’d have to discuss it with Dr. Janvier and Lieutenant Gadi. You’ve met with the counselor already, yes? Do you believe she would be a good mentor, that you’d get along at least well enough to learn from her about the duties of a ship’s counselor?” Renveer felt a rise in his chest, sharing in some of the ensign’s excitement. He remembered what it had been like to start his Starfleet journey. It was a feeling unlike any other.

“You’ve got some lovely pieces here. Original works?” she tried to sound casual but felt as far from it as was humanly possible. She was imagining Dr. Janvier telling the Commander that she just couldn’t spare her for the extra work, or that Starfleet wouldn’t permit a lateral shift when she had been assigned to the Dresden based on her work as a Medical Doctor, or that Renveer, himself would simply find her first day nerves and obvious infatuation, too off-putting and rescind the offer. She realized these things were all in her mind, and that tomorrow it would be less and the day after that, it would be gone - that was her standard response when thrust into new environments, but right now she just couldn’t stop the slide-show of invented worries in her mind.

< Dr. Winter, Ens.

The executive officer nodded, sweeping his gaze around the room to admire his collection for a second. “Indeed. Nothing replicated. I don’t have many ‘rare’ pieces, but they each hold sentimental value, more than anything. Mementos from my explorations in Starfleet. They let me bring a little piece of the soul of so many cultures with me wherever we go.” He paused again to reflect on the paintings before turning back to Dr. Winter.

“Actually sir, this piece is far from common”, she said pointing at the painting she had admired. “It’s fairly valuable to Bajoran collectors. If it’s an original, it’s part of a series of 9 paintings Vedek Topek did to represent the varying states of one’s Pagh… but I’m sure you knew that; it being your painting and all”. She flashed him an apologetic smile at him and returned to the topic at hand.

“I was able to meet with the Counselor, yes. She’s very nice, and quite disarming - which helps”, she chuckled slightly. “I’m sure I could learn a lot from her, sir. I just wasn’t sure there was a need for more than one Counselor, but I’m happy to help. It’s a great opportunity. Thank you, sir”.

“I don’t mean to overwhelm you. If you’d like to get situated in your sickbay duties first, the offer will stand indefinitely if you decide you want to mix in some counseling. Your time with us is just beginning after all.” He smiled in sympathy. “But I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. And I want to make sure you have the opportunities presented to you that would best suit your abilities and interests.”

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

“Commander? I just want to thank you again, for taking the time to meet with me like this. I know how busy the Senior Officers of the Dresden must be”, she said trailing off. Kerilah truly appreciated the effort, especially as it wasn’t required or expected. It just showed that the higher ranks, (or at least the XO), aboard this ship remembered what it was like starting off as a stranger and cared how people settled in, and that was refreshing, and quite simply - nice. “Is there anything you would recommend to prep for potential Counseling duties? Or anything else I should know, in general? ”

< Dr. Winter, Ens.

---

OCC: Just wanted to let you know, in case you missed it, I added something a few lines back. Hope that’s ok. :)

OOC: Hey Kimberly! Great job using between-paragraphs text! As you can see, it can be very useful. One note: To ensure that the formatting is correct (so the most recent post has white words, the second most recent has yellow, etc) you can look at the arrows on the sides of the post in your reply. The lines for the most recent post shouldn’t have any arrows, and you can make sure the arrows from the other paragraphs don’t bleed over by putting a blank line between them. Does that make sense?

IC: Renveer smiled again in appreciation. He was glad that Dr. Winter his summons hadn’t been too intimidating. Or if it had been, it seemed that he had made up for it during the conversation. “Of course, Ensign,” he said as a way of acknowledging her thanks while also shrugging it off as no big deal.

The executive officer looked up at the ceiling in thought, rubbing his chin with one hand. “That’s a good question. The Dresden is a dreadnaught. One that is meant to be prepped for battle at all times. But while a machine can be prepared for war, I don’t truly believe that people ever are.” Renveer’s peasant demeanor had turned a bit darker. “Trauma and grief are not uncommon sensations on the Dresden. It is our- your job as counselor to make sure that we don’t sweep the psychological effects of conflict under the rug. Mental health is often more complicated than physical health. Physical health can be deadly in the moment, but mental health can be an insidious, corrosive thing if it is not identified and addressed appropriately.” He paused again. “Before I arrived about a year ago, the Dresden had been without a counselor for some time, during a period of great strife for the crew. Many of those crew members have rotated out, but of those that remain, there is a level of distrust of counselors still innate, despite my and Lieutenant Gadi’s best efforts. You may have to practice reading people outside of a therapy setting, and subtly doing what you can to help outside of a counselor’s office. Sometimes acts of everyday kindness to those in need does far more than scheduling them for a meeting they won’t show up for.”

Renveer turned his gaze back to Dr. Winter, his eyes trained on her face with a more stone-like intensity as he measured her response to this information.

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

Kerilah listened to every word, rapt by the openness the Commander was sharing, and felt the weight of the gesture, she found it oddly comfortable and instead of emotionally bracing herself, she leaned into it, as was her nature. [Given the kinds of missions this crew must get, I’m not surprised by the trauma - but no Counselor before a year ago? What moron thought that was a good idea?] she wondered to herself while watching the man’s eyes snap back to hers, reaching something within she wasn’t clear on how to define.

“Sir, what you’re describing”, she paused and considered her words but wanted to be completely transparent, “at the risk of sounding immodest, is what I do on my own anyway. I can’t really help it; it’s been that way since I was a child. If I can use my natural tendencies to serve my ship, I’m pleased to do it, sir. However, I would recommend caution, sir. If the crew already has trouble trusting Counselors, having one covertly helping them, would destroy any hope of establishing trust if discovered”.

She was terrified, as she realized she had just questioned the confidence being offered. [Have you lost your mind!?] She could nearly hear the red alert klaxon in her head as she may have just phasered her gift horse in the face! “Not that, that isn’t an acceptable risk if it helps alleviate the pain of the crew; I just feel I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t point out the potential challenges, Sir. …Or did I misunderstand?”

It wasn’t that it was a bad idea, or even that she was unwilling to do it - she just wanted to make sure that Commander Renveer had considered all the implications of that suggestion. And she owed it to him, the Captain and her crewmates to at least consider alternative ways of helping them, without feeling like anyone was committing an act of betrayal. There were only a few ways that this could go, as far as Keri could see and she would share them with Renveer, unless she really had misunderstood, in which case, she would apologize and hope she hadn’t hit self-destruct on her career on her very first day.

< Dr. Winter, Ens.

---

OCC: I’m not entirely sure I followed your explanation, but I’ll try to connect with you on Discord over the next day or so, if you’re available? Email me a time that works best for you? Thanks.

OOC: When you’re writing in the post box, you want to make sure that the lines before and after your text are always blank. So hit ‘enter’ before and after each paragraph to make sure the colors stay separated. Like here, I pressed enter before I typed this section, so this paragraph will show up as white. If you don’t do this, the first paragraph of a post will be yellow and blend in with the post before. To post between paragraphs, it’s the same prinicple, but with an ‘enter’ below your paragraph(s) as well.

Renveer smiled wryly and leaned back in his chair. “Normally I would agree, but the direct approach hasn’t been quite as effective as we’d have liked. However, I’m not trying to suggest that you psychoanalyze your crewmates without their consent. Just… as you said, you are naturally good at meeting the emotional needs of others, I’m sure. Many of us that go into the counseling profession are. I suppose what I’m suggesting is that while we wait for the ball to really start rolling with these auxiliary duties as a counselor in training, I would request that you pay close attention to those other crew members that you interact with, and treat them with kindness and care if they need it. Not in a professional way necessarily, just in the way that one person might care for another, even those they don’t know well.”

Keri watched the man as he considered what he said, and she appreciated that he too, could be second-guessing the request. Still, it didn’t seem like that - more like he was being cautious, and a little strategic, with his words. After all, they had only just met and though he had read her file, he didn’t really know her anymore than she knew him. It was practical to be cautious.

The executive officer paused. “I know that’s a lot to ask. And maybe asking it will just make you overthink it, when I’m sure you would have done as I’m suggesting without my encouragement. Just know that there are people on this ship who may strike you a certain way when you meet them that might not be entirely pleasant… and know that they are dealing with much underneath the surface. People who are on edge like that… their abrasiveness is rarely personal. And pushing people away might be what they want, but not what they need.” He rubbed a temple lightly, the trill markings underneath his fingers crinkling. “Sometimes for people in that stage, speaking with someone whose job is to care for them feels inauthentic, even if the intentions of the counselor are pure.”

He looked up again, dark eyes narrowed slightly as he considered what he had said and what might be left to say. “In summary, just be a good person to your crewmates.” He chuckled lightly. “Sorry, I guess now I’m realizing that hopefully didn’t need to be said.”

(Lt. Cmdr. Renveer, XO)

The Doctor found herself losing focus in the depth of his eyes, and then began to follow the spots on his temples down to his uniform, which immediately clarified her attentions. “Not at all, Sir. And you’re right, I’ll just slide this conversation to the back burner and proceed as I normally would,” she paused briefly to consider that this information was no more than seasoning for a standard recipe.

“But I will keep it in mind, as I do so. It makes sense, Sir. And I understand about people pushing others away as a sort of pre-emptive rejection, I see a lot of that; and no, I don’t take it personally, Sir”. She hoped that he recognized her commitment to discretion, both in her application of help and in her assessment of this conversation, not that there was anything nefarious about it.

“If you don’t mind Sir, can you tell me anything about our current mission? I don’t know much about our assignment, only that in the short time since I’ve arrived there is a general mix of anxiety and…” she considered how to describe the second thing she kept picking up on in the corridors and turbo-lifts… “expectation? It’s not anticipation, but like the crew thinks it knows what’s coming? It’s difficult to put my finger on Sir, it’s just the body language of the crew when they’re among themselves looks a bit like an old-earth detective about to enter an interrogation room.” [I hope that made sense to you because it sounds like gibberish even though I know what I meant. Relax, Keri, either he’ll tell you or it’s classified.] She waited patiently for Cmdr. Renveer to respond, one way or the other.

OOC: Did I do it right? LOL Oh, and btw - any word on when the CMO is returning? And if not soon, how should I proceed with my duties?